Twins (Matthews) vs Tigers (Montero): 09/09/26, 12:10 PM

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

1 minute ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I'm fairly certain that Rodriguez is a strong athlete and can handle defense even in CF. I am not certain at all that either Mendez or Gonzalez's best defensive position in the majors isn't DH, so I have a hard time planning on either of them. I'm not even certain Gonzalez or Mendez bring a more dynamic bat. 

IF I am Tom, I am going after athletes, and I'd try to bring in 1-2 legitimate bats either through trade or free agency. I don't know that I even care if they are a 40 homerun hitter, but if they can be someone who can hold down a defensive spot and have a good on base percentage and run the bases well, then you have me sold.

Rodriguez has a 55 Run Tool, a 60 Arm, and a 50 defensive tool. Mendez and Gonzalez are both below 50 on defensive.  I would argue Mendez has the best hit tool in the system.  So if you appreciate a hitter like Arraez with more power potential then that is about as much upside as you can get purely with the bat.  I can find the article but basically said if he can hit more line drives his offensive profile would change significantly.  He has made progress but still needs work.    

[thelanges5]

2-4 road trip, yuck

[Hunter4848]

4 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I think we all do. I guess I'm more of an optimist. I'm not happy with the win/loss record for basically any of the seasons in the last 6. But I also see the players trying and not quitting right now compared to the 2025 season. So that tells me the coaching staff is preparing them to try, which is an improvement.

Still need to have better results. But both things can be true.

Please enlighten us on how you have determined that the players are playing with more effort than last year. 

[Danchat]

3 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

This doesn't mean anything, though. The White Sox don't seem to have created a "losing culture." They seem to have remade themselves into an AL Central contender. Maybe more.

Talent always trumps culture/leadership/etc. Young talent counts too, even though it doesn't always pan out.

[mrmpls]

1 minute ago, LastOnePicked said:

Not even a Twins crank like myself can hit that level of dissatisfaction.

It's okay. He'll likely be alright. Probably even better than alright.

he has slumped at every level for awhile -  FACT-   all these pro scouts on here crack me up, its very entertaining !!!!!!

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

Just now, Hunter4848 said:

Please enlighten us on how you have determined that the players are playing with more effort than last year. 

The players have stated as much Hunter.   They have said morale in the clubhouse is 100% better.   

[Cory Engelhardt]

6 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

If they aren't playing well, how are you judging the effort?

Just like porn, you can't always describe it, but you know it when you see it :)

[LastOnePicked]

1 minute ago, mrmpls said:

he has slumped at every level for awhile

Don't most players?

I'm not casting a HOF bust for him yet, but I do think there's real talent there.

[djvang]

Keaschall has a horrible throwing motion. Can that be corrected?

[Mike Sixel]

10 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

This doesn't mean anything, though. The White Sox don't seem to have created a "losing culture." They seem to have remade themselves into an AL Central contender. Maybe more.

This. The Brewers didn't all quit when they traded their star pitcher. 

[mrmpls]

Just now, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

The players have stated as much Hunter.   They have said morale in the clubhouse is 100% better.   

They have said morale in the clubhouse is 100% better. ---  and you believe what they HAVE to say,   got a bridge to sell  ??

[Hunter4848]

1 minute ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

The players have stated as much Hunter.   They have said morale in the clubhouse is 100% better.   

This supposedly much better morale wil result in another losing season in a historically pathetic league. But im glad the players have good feelings!

[LastOnePicked]

Just now, Cory Engelhardt said:

Just like porn, you can't always describe it, but you know it when you see it :)

The effort isn't any different than last season. It's mostly just a matter of talent and coaching. Culture matters, too, but this team is still leaderless.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

So I see Walker Jenkins had an opportunity to do some damage and close the gap and he was unable to come up with a clutch hit.  Some times when trying to win,  you are putting a young player in a more stressful position than they should be when calling them up early.   There could be an argument that some of the other players in AAA with more experience could provide better stats right now.  

[mrmpls]

2 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

Don't most players?

I'm not casting a HOF bust for him yet, but I do think there's real talent there.

all im saying is -give the kid a chance 

[Tlaker]

8 minutes ago, DH_11 said:

I hope they don’t intend to bring Jenkins back next year. This guy is nowhere near ready for Major league baseball. I have a feeling unless he’s shortens his swing He’s gonna be a minor league All-Star like crash Davis. This guy is not big league material.

My gawd…… he has had 34 at bats! 

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

1 minute ago, mrmpls said:

They have said morale in the clubhouse is 100% better. ---  and you believe what they HAVE to say,   got a bridge to sell  ??

You realize Lewis wanted traded off the team last offseason right?   It was an awful team situation.  You had a bullpen that couldn't compete.   players in the lineup who couldn't hit.   It was not a good situation.  They were tanking the season and the team knew it.  

[Cory Engelhardt]

1 minute ago, LastOnePicked said:

The effort isn't any different than last season. It's mostly just a matter of talent and coaching. Culture matters, too, but this team is still leaderless.

I FEEL like the effort given in September is different compared to last year. Could also be my memory is hazy a little. 

But yeah, Buxton being hurt again, as their leader, doesn't help. Who is the leader of the next Twins team? I think that's still to be figured out.

[LastOnePicked]

1 minute ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

you are putting a young player in a more stressful position than they should be when calling them up early

What stress? This team is in a battle with another team for third or fourth place in a weak division.

Jenkins will be fine.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

1 minute ago, mrmpls said:

all im saying is -give the kid a chance 

Its just the 3 of you were hankering for him to be called up so much.   The fact that he hasn't performed at all star levels off the bat should have been expected.   

[MeleMouth]

5 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

Not even a Twins crank like myself can hit that level of dissatisfaction.

It's okay. He'll like be alright.

Sorry, but Jenkins is looking like 1 WAR top prospects like Dylan Crews and Evan Carter (non-playoff version) could become optimistic outcomes. He needs a reset sooner than later. It's too bad that the Twins compounded their mistakes this year by bringing Jenkins up to the majors in a Hail Mary effort to make the playoffs, thereby taking the risk that he will have to go without baseball activities for at least a portion of next year. 

[Cory Engelhardt]

4 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

So I see Walker Jenkins had an opportunity to do some damage and close the gap and he was unable to come up with a clutch hit.  Some times when trying to win,  you are putting a young player in a more stressful position than they should be when calling them up early.   There could be an argument that some of the other players in AAA with more experience could provide better stats right now.  

Yeah, but not a good argument put together in good faith.

[Peter]

If only twins and owners cared about winning instead of fantasy football 👎😤😡🤮💩

[Cory Engelhardt]

1 minute ago, MeleMouth said:

Sorry, but Jenkins is looking like 1 WAR top prospects like Dylan Crews and Evan Carter (non-playoff version) could become optimistic outcomes. He needs a reset sooner than later. It's too bad that the Twins compounded their mistakes this year by bringing Jenkins up to the majors in a Hail Mary effort to make the playoffs, thereby taking the risk that he will have to go without baseball activities for at least a portion of next year. 

Thank goodness you aren't in the field of player evaluation. And I wish I could dislike this post more than one time.

[MeleMouth]

Nance was another waste of a trade. The Twins actually gave valuable players to the Blue Jays to take two players they were hoping to get rid of, and the Blue Jays have had a better record than the Twins since the trades.

[mrmpls]

3 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

So I see Walker Jenkins had an opportunity to do some damage and close the gap and he was unable to come up with a clutch hit.  Some times when trying to win,  you are putting a young player in a more stressful position than they should be when calling them up early.   There could be an argument that some of the other players in AAA with more experience could provide better stats right now.  

Hard for some to believe BUT the Twins have ZERO path to a playoff spot ,  Managers will tell ya they need to see how players respond to pressure and you r watching ,  or ?

[LastOnePicked]

1 minute ago, MeleMouth said:

Sorry, but Jenkins is looking like 1 WAR top prospects like Dylan Crews and Evan Carter (non-playoff version) could become optimistic outcomes. He needs a reset sooner than later. It's too bad that the Twins compounded their mistakes this year by bringing Jenkins up to the majors in a Hail Mary effort to make the playoffs, thereby taking the risk that he will have to go without baseball activities for at least a portion of next year. 

He won't have to go without "baseball activities." Of course he'll be training, as will all of the players.

He had nothing left to learn in AAA. Holding him back because of a lockout scare would have been borderline criminal. I would hate an organization for doing that to me.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

Just now, Cory Engelhardt said:

Yeah, but not a good argument put together in good faith.

Eh its just a point that going with all rookies like they had suggested earlier in the thread isn't the best strategy.  If the goal is to tank I got a thread for that along with our playoff odds.  However this team and Tom both want this team to win.   Right now I am not sure Jenkins is giving us that best opportunity right now.  Will he likely figure it out 100%.  Jenkins, Culpepper and Lackey are the Twins offensive future most likely.  

[HarmonK03]

10 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

The players have stated as much Hunter.   They have said morale in the clubhouse is 100% better.   

Could it be a player or players traded at the deadline last year contributed to poor morale.

[mrmpls]

5 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

You realize Lewis wanted traded off the team last offseason right?   It was an awful team situation.  You had a bullpen that couldn't compete.   players in the lineup who couldn't hit.   It was not a good situation.  They were tanking the season and the team knew it.  

It was and is  an awful team situation.  You had a bullpen that couldn't compete.   players in the lineup who couldn't hit.   It was not a good situation.  sounds like what were seeing